


playin' video games

by theglitterati



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Awkwardness, Gen, Sickfic, Video & Computer Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29292975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theglitterati/pseuds/theglitterati
Summary: Akaashi recalled one of the reasons he didn’t often play video games: they gave him terrible motion sickness. He couldn’t think of a worse way for this day to go. Why would Kenma want to be friends with him when he couldn’t enjoy Kenma’s favourite activity?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma
Comments: 13
Kudos: 51
Collections: Akaken Week 2021





	playin' video games

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to AkaKen week! The bonus prompt was "Third Years."
> 
> Title from "Video Games" by Lana Del Ray, obviously.

_Bokuto: have fun on your date with Kenma lol!!!!!_

_Akaashi: It’s not a date._

_Akaashi: Unless you would like me to start going on those with people who are not you._

_Bokuto: NO i was joking please don’t_

_Bokuto: Akaashi please don’t_

_Bokuto: Akaashi???????_

_Bokuto: i’m calling you_

After a quick phone call with Bokuto on the walk from the station, Akaashi arrived at Kenma’s house. He hesitated outside, double-checking the address before knocking on the door.

Kenma opened it, peering at Akaashi from inside a large hoodie. “Hey.”

“Hello, Kozume-san.”

Kenma frowned. “You can just call me Kenma.”

“Oh, right. Uh, Kenma.” Wow, could Akaashi be more awkward? 

Kenma waved him inside, offering him a pair of guest slippers. “Do you want something to eat?”

“Only if you’re having something. Please don’t feel obligated.”

“It’s fine.” Kenma rummaged through the kitchen cupboards, turning up a bag of Calbee chips. “You like these?”

“Yes, thank you.” Akaashi took the bag, grateful for something to do with his hands. They stood there, not talking, the crunching of the few chips Akaashi ate the only noise in the room.

“Sorry,” Kenma said. “I’m not used to having people over. The only person who comes here is Kuro, and he acts like he lives here, so…”

Akaashi was fairly sure it was Kuroo’s idea for Kenma to invite him over in the first place. He had texted Akaashi during training camp a few weeks ago, their first without the old third-years, to ask if Kenma seemed lonely. He hadn’t — if anything, between Hinata and Lev, he looked like he could use some peace and quiet. Akaashi was much more lonesome; the only person he knew well at camp was Tsukishima, and he wasn’t exactly talkative.

“Me too,” Akaashi blurted. “I mean— I’m used to having Bokuto-san around. I’m only now realizing that he usually did the talking for both of us.”

“Bokuto does enough talking for five people,” Kenma said. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that in a bad way.”

“No, it’s alright. That’s… accurate.”

Kenma gave him a tiny smile. “Do you want to sit down? My parents aren’t here, so I brought my consoles downstairs, if you wanna play…”

“Yeah, sure.” Having the game to focus on would make it easier to talk. Akaashi followed him to the living room, munching on chips.

Kenma suggested they take turns on a single-player game instead of playing a party game. Akaashi was relieved; at least he wouldn’t spend the day getting his ass kicked. They chose a recent action RPG and booted it up. Kenma set up a new save file and passed Akaashi the controller.

“You’re sure it’s not boring to watch me play?”

“I mean, I watch streamers, and you’re less annoying than most of them.” Akaashi decided to take that as a compliment.

It took him a while to get used to the controls. Most of his gaming experience was on handheld consoles; he wasn’t used to controlling the camera or remembering complicated action moves. Luckily, Kenma was in his element. He spoke more than Akaashi had ever heard him speak, kindly explaining how to kill people and talk to them, in that order.

Things were going well until Akaashi felt a dull pain between his eyebrows. He pressed his fingers against it, closing his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I just have a bit of headache,” Akaashi said, but when he opened his eyes, the room spun. _Oh, no,_ he thought. _Not now._

“Do you want some medicine?”

“No, it’s alright.” A painkiller wouldn’t help with this.

Akaashi recalled one of the reasons he didn’t often play video games: they gave him terrible motion sickness. He couldn’t think of a worse way for this day to go. Why would Kenma want to be friends with him when he couldn’t enjoy Kenma’s favourite activity?

He breathed through his nose, trying to control the dizziness. Kenma stared at him. Knowing Kenma, he probably knew Akaashi was freaking out. “How do I switch weapons?” he asked as a distraction. Kenma leaned forward, explaining the different choices.

Akaashi tried to keep playing, looking away from the screen whenever he could, but the nausea didn’t go away, a cold sweat beading on the back of his neck. In the middle of an intense battle, his stomach rolled violently.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kenma asked.

“Yeah, I’m, um— I just need to use the bathroom. Be right back.” He tried to stand and stumbled, grabbing the couch for balance.

“Uh… Akaashi?”

“Kozume-san— I mean Kenma— would it be alright if I laid down for a few minutes? Sorry, I just—”

“It’s okay. We can go to my room.” Kenma was already heading for the stairs. “You’re not going to pass out, are you?”

“No, no, I’m okay,” Akaashi said, though he held the railing tightly.

Kenma showed him into his room. “You can lay down on the bed. I’ll close the curtains.”

“Thank you. And sorry, again.” Akaashi collapsed onto the bed, shutting his eyes. The dizziness instantly ebbed, though the guilt didn’t go away. “You, um, you don’t need to stay with me—”

Akaashi heard Kenma’s footsteps leaving the room. _I guess he left,_ he thought. God, he had ruined this—

Something cool touched Akaashi’s forehead. A washcloth, wet with cold water. It felt amazing.

“That should help,” Kenma said.

“Thank you,” Akaashi whispered. “Sorry.”

Kenma laughed softly. “Please don’t die on my bed.”

Akaashi woke up disoriented, unsure of where he was. He opened his eyes, taking in the closed curtains, the strange room. He shot upright when he remembered.

“Hey,” Kenma said. He sat on the floor against the wall, playing on his phone.

“How— how long was I asleep?” Though he was mortified, Akaashi’s headache, at least, was completely gone.

“Like an hour.”

“Oh god. I’m so—”

“Don’t apologize. It’s fine.” Kenma opened the curtains and joined him, sitting at the foot of the bed. “So video games give you motion sickness?”

Akaashi looked down. “Yes.” He bit his tongue so he wouldn’t say ‘sorry’ again.

“You could have told me. We could have done something else.”

“I didn’t want to ruin things.” Akaashi laughed bitterly. “Which I did anyway.”

“I don’t think so. I’m used to it, actually.” Kenma shifted, crossing his legs. “Did you know I used to get sick every time I played volleyball?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, like with a fever and everything. It stopped on its own after a while, luckily. But I kept playing, because it made Kuro happy. He always took care of me after, though. He’d sit in my room while I slept.”

It occurred to Akaashi that Kenma had just done the same for him. “That… was really kind of him.”

Kenma shrugged. “I guess. But I don’t want you to do that for me. We don’t have to play video games when we hang out. We can do other stuff, or you can do your own thing while I play.”

“You still want to hang out with me after this?”

Kenma frowned. “Akaashi, you realize I spend most of my time with people like Tora and Lev, right? This was nothing. Unless you don’t want to—”

“No, I do! I definitely do!”

“Cool.” Kenma picked up the remote. “Wanna watch TV? That won’t make you sick, will it?”

“I hope not.”

Akaashi shifted over, making room for Kenma to sit beside him against the wall. Kenma turned on the TV, flipping through to find something good.

“Hey,” Akaashi said. “You can call me Keiji, if you want.”

Kenma smiled. “Okay, Keiji.”

_Bokuto: how was your not-a-date with Kenma lollllll_

_Akaashi: It was nice. We played video games and then I took a nap in his bed._

_Bokuto: in his WHAT!?!?!?_

_Bokuto: i’m calling you_

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at kyrstin.tumblr.com!


End file.
